Under the Vermillion Sky
by mimi888
Summary: Having to move from the sunshine state of California to follow her daughters in New York, Clarissa knew a mother's love is never ending. A sudden natural disaster is heading there way, Clarissa realizes that in order to survive she must stay strong and protect her daughters down the road to safe haven.


Chapter One

A warm tear drop rolls down my cheek as I feel the airplane taking off on a warm sunny afternoon. Born and raised in the beautiful sunshine state of California, I could not help feeling nostalgic and having second thoughts. Was my decision of moving to New York the correct one? I don't know much about New York, I picture it just like in the movies, with it's high rise buildings, taxi cabs everywhere, thousands of people walking to their destinations or taking the subway. A cold chill ran down my spine thinking what if I never get used to it? I drifted to sleep with my mind spinning a hundred miles per hour and my last thought was thank goodness I took that Xanax.

I am walking up a dark alley when I hear a mans voice whisper in the dark "not that way". Startled I stopped and looked ahead and I was no longer in that dark alley, I was walking in a field of sunflowers the sky above me crisp and clear. I start running towards the end of the field wondering where am I? And once again I hear his voice say "This way". As I try to find him the sky above me turns into a deep scarlet red almost as if the heavens were bleeding. The sunflowers around me start wilting away and ashes start falling like raindrops on a summer day.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please put your seat belts on and lift your seats to a sitting position as we are preparing to land", the stewardess said with a gentle and kind voice. I hear her faintly as I slowly wake up from the deep somber sleep which kept me from waking up the whole flight up to New York. My dream still lingering around my head as I start preparing myself to get off that plane as soon as it lands. That voice, his sweet gentle voice I have never heard before, and the sky so eerie and beautiful.

I don't think I could ever get use to the feeling of an airplane landing, or the butterflies in my stomach when I am ready to start a new adventure. I peeked out the small window and it was too dark to see outside which reminded me I was in a new time zone. We slowly exited the huge American Airlines Boeing airplane finally crossing the door wide open I was able to feel the cool warm breeze coming from the cracks in the walk way connected to the port. My daughters said I will arrive at the perfect time of the year, summer, so I can get use to the weather change in Fall and Winter. "Look at it this way" my daughter Aimee had said to me "You will have your very first White Christmas this year". "And you get to see the 2025 New Years Eve Ball drop live in Time Square" my youngest daughter Nicole chirped in excitedly.

I made my way past all the people searching for their luggage as I pat myself in the back knowing I had made the right choice of shipping all my belongings 3 weeks ago and only bringing my carry on bag. I walk towards the exit signs I immediately noticed how much more people and more noise surrounded me. Once outside the amount of yellow taxis made it look like a river of gold flowing down the street.

"Mom" I hear someone yelling for me. It was Aimee and Nicole yelling and jumping up and down, Nicole with her video camera and Aimee with her Nikon camera holding up a sign that read "Mom's new journey". My heart fluttered with so many emotions as I rushed to hug my girls and tell them how much I missed them! A mother's love is never ending. "Okay mom" Nicole said with her little joker laugh "first stop will be at the nearest hot dog joint because New York has the best hot dogs ever".

We hoped on the first available taxi and it felt almost like I was in a dream again floating from one place to another. New York slowly unraveled around me with the girls pointing out everything as they talked about all the plans they had for me. I was just happy to be with them and that the city around me made my girls so full of life!

As I looked out the window I couldn't help wonder why I was still thinking about the stranger in my dream.


End file.
